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Scot Hacker/Birdhouse laments the coming fate of MP3.com, where Vivendi bought it, and plans to blow the database away, including all mp3s, video, cover art and anything else associated with artist's work (see the Register on this). Mike Robinson, founder and former CEO is pleading with Vivendi to allow Archive.org (of Brewster Kahle fame) to mirror it all, but that takes time, and Vivendi wants a clean harddrive by December 3. You'd think they could just forward the backup tapes. But then again, one wonders whether they realize they are in the information business at all with a plan like this (hello, we keep the information...).
Free, free freeeeee... not
Speaking of mp3s, John Schwartz/NYTimes looks at When Free Isn't Really Free: "... free isn't what it used to be, especially on the internet." He says web giveaways always bring problems like "computer glitches, frustration and loss of privacy and security -- not to mention the threat of expensive lawsuits for large-scale music downloaders." (That would actually be uploaders... but who's counting.) Add to those issues spyware, piggybacked on other software and used by companies to watch and report what users do, though the FTC has tried to stop companies from distributing it. Some companies, a few according to the article, can still make money with free models, but many others are doing other things, like utilizing spyware, to collect information on users to sell, to make money.
Aside: The properties of digital media are completely different than those in the physical world.
I must point out that the article itself in the paper edition has a collage of images supporting stereotypes of thieves and hucksters outlined by a computer screen, while the online edition has only one image of a thief shoving a silver platter into a pillowcase. While the written style of the article seems to be a collage of statements making a conversation similar to what topic bloggers do, and gets closer to a kind digital media composition, the associated images make me wonder if Schwartz sees this, because the artwork imagines such a misunderstanding of digital media, which is not at all analogous to physical property. Taking an mp3 still leaves the owner with the original, because digital media is about bits, and copies, but a silver platter represents something that is supposedly rare and somewhat unique.
Back to our regularly scheduled programming:
But it's Siva who hits the nail on the head:
So if it's just a pricing issue, and people are pushed to give up the free because of computer hassles and fears about privacy and security, then:
Though the ensuing discussion (assembled much like a blog post; I've noticed that Schwartz's articles seem to be moving in this direction) between Jonathan Zittrain, Steve Jobs, Joe Esposito of Time Warner music, Davidson and McGuire put together by Schwartz circles the pricing and implementation issue, that, if solved, will let the music flow.
Now doesn't that really make you wonder about Vivendi's thoughts on the information business? Why not keep the MP3.com database around as we get closer to solving the micropayment and online music sales issues. I mean, identifying the problem is the first step to finding a solution, no?
ps, /. on decoding the algorithm to predict hit songs. There's even a scaled down version for aspiring song writers. This /. comment gives the algorithm for getting a modded +5 comment there. Lather rince repeat, rip mix spurn: